Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

E. J. TOOP.

EUEELING ATTACHMENT EOE SEWING MACHINES.

No. 377,368. Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

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zffzyg Afm C77/ l Imran STATES EDVIN J. TOOF, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING=MACHINES.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 377.363, dated January 31, 1888.

Application filed February 2, 1882. Scrial No. 51,727. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that l, EDWIN J. TOOF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ruffling Attachments for Sewing-'Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in the combination, witharuffling attachment forsewing-machines, of a stationary or supporting frame to keep the presser foot or bar of the sewing-machine in suspension above the feed-dog in such a manner as to permit a supplemental flexible or spring presser to act independently of said presser foot or bar of the sewing-machine, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a top view of my rufier. Fig. 2 represents an edge view of the same,with the presser-foot of the sewing-machine resting upon the stationary bar above the supplemental spring-presser.

A is the frame or plate by which the attachment is secured upon the sewing-machine; B, lever for operating the gathering-blade C.

D is an adj Listing-screw for regulating the throw of the gathering-blade, and thereby varying the width of the plaits or gathers to be formed.

E is a separator-plate for separating the strip to be ruffled from the strip upon which the ruflie is to be sewed.

F is the stationary or supporting frame, upon which the presser-foot G of the sewingmachine rests, and H is the supplemental or flexible spring presser, against which the plaits or gathers are formed and by which they are smoothed in passing beneath for formation and stitching.

The operation of my improvement when adjusted in position is as follows: The presserfoot G of the sewing-machine is let down upon a projection or bar, (represented at R) which serves as a support upon which the said foot rests to avoid the necessity of its removal from the machine, and the flexible presser, which operates as a supplemental foot against which the ruffle or gather is formed, serves, also, as an elastic smoother, yielding sufficiently to all'ow the fold or plait, after its formation, to pass beneath it while fed along, the elasticity of which is such as to avoid' the strain that such attachments are usually subjected to when the folds or gathers are formed against and forced under the more rigid and solid presserfoot ordinarily uscd'in connection with the stitching mechanism, which in practice has been found defective, owing to the great strain to which the attachment is subjected by the reciprocation of the blade against such solid presser-foot, resulting in very rapid wear of parts, which soon destroys the usefulness of the device and unduly strains the stitching mechanism.

Having thus sct forth my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination, with a supportingframe, actuating-lever, and gathering-blade, of a flexible presser and a fixed projection or bridge for supporting the presser proper of the sewing-machine, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a ruling att-achment for sewing-machines, consisting of a supplemental frame, operating-lever, gatheringblade, and an adjusting device, of a fixed proj ection secured to said frame, serving as a rest for the usual presser of a sewing-machine, and an elastic supplemental presser, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose described.

EDVIN J. TOOF. lVitnesses:

Jol-IN DANE, T r., Josnrrr M. CRANE. 

